(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food spill catching device which is worn by a person in a moving vehicle, particularly a driver of the vehicle, to catch the spills. The device can also function as a serving tray for the food, usually a fast food. In particular the present invention relates to a spill catching device which can be assembled by a person dispensing the food from pre-cut preforms on a sheet of material or which can be pre-assembled at a factory and shipped in stacks.
(2) Prior Art
The prior art has described many different types of bibs. Illustrative are U.S. Pat. Nos. 114,366 to Thomson; 453,490 to Kropp; 497,340 to Pollitt; 1,506,332 to Bloom; 3,032,773 to Piazze; 2,265,690 to Fiedler; 2,672,614 to Zimmerman et al; 2,469,835 to McMartin; 3,945,048 to Shearer; 4,114,199 to Malan; 4,649,572 to Roessler; and 4,660,226 to Quilling et al. Design U.S. Pat. Nos. 232,276, 238,117 and 238,521 to Andersson and 288,260 to Anderson et al also show bibs.
A common characteristic of the prior art bibs is that they extend down the chest and stomach area of the user, usually an infant, to a pouch across the lap. The problem is that in a moving vehicle where there are usually bumps and ruts in the road, the food spills have too long a distance to travel and end up missing the bib and pouch. Further, in the case of a driver of the vehicle, necessary movements, such as turning the head, change the position of the mouth relative to the bib and prevent the bib from being effective. Further still, a bib is cumbersome to use while driving.
There is a great need for a device which will catch food spills particularly when a person is driving a vehicle. This is particularly true of traveling business people who can be wearing expensive clothing and who want to eat and drive a vehicle at the same time. It is very common experience to have a hamburger or other fast food spill on the clothing while it is being eaten by the person driving the vehicle. This results in expensive drycleaning bills. There is thus a need for an inexpensive, disposable device which will collect such spills. Further still, there is a need for a device which will also function as a food serving tray.